DeepSeek Harness for VS Code

The DeepSeek coding agent, where you already work.

Bring the official DeepSeek Harness experience into VS Code, fully aligned with its runtime and workflow. Understand a codebase, make a change, run the right checks, and review the result without leaving your editor.

Why developers use it

• Native VS Code workflow: chat beside your code, or open a full-width editor view.
• Project-aware by default: follow the active workspace with isolated local sessions.
• Useful context at the right moment: explain or review a selection, or add it to a prompt from the editor.
• Controlled execution: choose read-only, workspace-writable, or full-access permissions.
• Visible, reversible work: see what changed and undo the latest tracked task when appropriate.
• Multimodal interaction: work with text and visual context through the DeepSeek Harness experience.
• No setup burden: the runtime is included; no Node.js, Python, or project dependencies are required.

Start in minutes

1. Install DeepSeek Harness from the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Open a project and select the DeepSeek Harness icon in the Activity Bar.
3. Add your DeepSeek API key, or import an existing Harness configuration from ~/.dsh.
4. Describe the outcome you want, including any constraints.

The backend starts when you open the panel, not when VS Code starts. The default shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+D on Windows and Cmd+Alt+D on macOS.

Built for confident work

Choose the permission level that fits the task:

• Read-only for understanding and planning.
• Workspace writable for everyday implementation with confirmation for consequential actions.
• Full access for trusted, controlled environments.

Sessions, settings, and credentials stay on your machine by default and are isolated per project. Prompts, selected code, and images are sent only to the provider endpoint you configure.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.95.0 or newer
• Windows x64/ARM64 or macOS Intel/Apple silicon
• A DeepSeek API key or an existing DeepSeek Harness configuration

Linux is not supported by the current release.

Support

Run DeepSeek Harness: Run Environment Diagnostics when something looks wrong. When reporting an issue, include the diagnostic output and relevant DeepSeek Harness logs. Remove API keys, tokens, and private source code before sharing.

About the author

Wentao Jiang · The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

License

MIT